Various studies report use of stem cell and related therapies for improving cardiac performance. Proposed mechanisms include passive effects on scar tissue, neovascularization leading to reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, cell fusion and paracrine effects leading to proliferation of endogenous cardiomyocytes and cardiomyocyte regeneration as well as transdifferentiation leading to cardiomyocyte regeneration. While some view a lack of understanding as to specific mechanisms by which stem cell and related therapies improve cardiac performance, various processes have nevertheless been identified as being beneficial to such therapies. For example, many therapies include processes such as conditioning cells with electrical stimuli, injecting cells into the body, feeding cells, etc. With respect to applying electrical stimuli, various studies indicate that such conditioning can reduce myocardial heterogeneity (e.g., electrical and/or structural), which may cause paroxysmal arrhythmia.
Some studies advocate in vivo conditioning while others report that in vivo conditioning is not required. For example, a study by Yang et al., “Rapid stimulation causes electrical remodeling in cultured atrial myocytes”, J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2005 February; 38(2):299-308, reported that rapid stimulation of atrial cells in culture produces electrical remodeling and that in vivo conditions are not required for the development of electrical remodeling. Another study by Park, “Electrical stimulation enhances the expression of cardiac properties in 3-D cultured cells”, reported that application of electrical stimulation during cell culture in three-dimensional scaffolds enhanced both the cardiac differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and the functional assembly of cardiomyocytes into contractile tissue constructs.
Various exemplary technologies described herein pertain to stem cell and related therapies. For example, various technologies may mimic or reproduce biological conditions and/or mimic or reproduce therapeutic conditions to enhance stem cell or related therapies.